Braelon Allen is now in select company with a few other NFL Players, including an Eagle.
Last week — Fond Du Lac’s 20-year-old Braelon Allen became the youngest player in NFL history to score a touchdown from scrimmage in an NFL game in 94 years and to do both in an NFL game — ever.
He is now in the NFL record books with ageless former Green Bay Packers and New York Giants quarterback Arnie Herber — who set his record in 1930.
As with many historical NFL connections, this one also has an Eagles connection.
Many from the Great Generation remember former Giants Coach Allie Sherman. Fewer may remember Sherman as an Eagles player. Former Eagles Head Coach Earl “Greasy” Neale gave Sherman a spot on the Eagles roster in 1943 right out of Brooklyn College. In his rookie season, Sherman was both an Eagle and a Steeler when the two teams combined for one season in 1943 due to a player shortage caused by World War II.
Right after the War, the Eagles began to get better and build momentum in the winning direction. Playing defensive back and quarterback for the Eagles, Sherman competed with Tommy Thompson for the starting quarterback role and helped to guide the Eagles to an 8–4 record and a 21–0 win in the playoffs against the Steelers. In the 1947 NFL Championship Game, they fell short by one possession at the end despite a furious comeback in St. Louis. Allie Sherman was also just twenty years old when he scored his first touchdown from scrimmage.
With Thompson as the starting quarterback, Sherman left the Eagles for retirement and a Head Coaching position in 1948 and became the New York Giants’ Head Coach in 1961. He also pioneered TV broadcasting for the NFL Games and ESPN. If Sherman had stayed with the Eagles for two more seasons, he would have won two championships.
Back in Tennessee — where the Titans had the misfortune of being the home team as Braelon Allen exploited the defense both by air and by ground and wrote himself into the record books — the quarterback who gave him the football for both scores was none other than 40-year old Aaron Rodgers.
PHOTO: WikiCommons
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